Forums held about bridge rehabilitation

Feb 2, 2011From staff reports

The City of Athens will hold an open house on the upcoming rehabilitation project for the Richland Avenue Bridge over the Oxbow Creek on Wednesday, Feb. 9. in order to gather feedback from citizens on the design alternatives. Citizens are encouraged to drop by City Building, 8 East Washington Street, any time between 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Citizens can complete a comment form, speak with city officials, and share their thoughts on the alternatives. There is no fixed program.

The Richland Avenue Bridge over the Oxbow Creek was built in 1932 as the US33/50 Bridge over the Hocking River. In the early 1970s the river was moved further south, leaving a small creek running under the current structure.

In 2009 the existing bridge received a structurally deficient rating, identifying the need for rehabilitation. The City of Athens has received $2.5 million dollars in grant funding from the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) for rehabilitating the Richland Avenue Bridge over Oxbow. The City of Athens is now in the design stage of the project, with construction slated for the summer of 2012.

Objectives of the project include replacing the deficient reinforced concrete deck, rehabilitating all structure components and maintaining the overall character of the structure as best as possible.

In partnership with Ohio University, two rehabilitation alternatives have been selected.

Please direct any questions to Athens Engineering and Public Works at 740-593-7636.